Hi. There is a part where I completely made up something from WWII history.
Chapter Sixty-One:
Reid lit three candles in a church. He wanted to do this alone. He needed to do this alone. Today was All Saints Day, a spiritual holiday associated with multiple faiths. It was a time for renewal and hope, as well as a time for reflection.
Gwen Calvin opened his heart to love. She dedicated her life to seeking the truth. He treasured their time together.
Max Brenner, brought the fun back to his life. She was a steadying influence on his life. She helped him grow.
Maeve Donavan taught him what love was. There would never be another Maeve. She helped him embrace life.
These women gave him everything he ever wanted. He vowed to make sure they were never forgotten.
…
"Look at you!" Iris gushed.
Rossi had gifted him a blue Honda Civic for his birthday. It felt good to be driving again.
"Ready?"
"Born ready," Iris said.
"You look nice."
"I always look nice."
Reid smiled.
"It feels weird being the one applying for a job at the FBI," Iris said.
"I think you'll do well there."
"I could have taken the subway you know," she said.
"I didn't want you to mess up your interview outfit."
"I feel daring in red and black."
"I'm glad you got talked out of the scarlet lipstick."
"I'm surrounded by spoilsports."
Reid got on the highway.
"Do you need to go over interview questions?"
"What like work experience? Is it still work if I did it against my will? Or do they want to hear about my babysitting experience?"
"Humor me."
"I think I can be an asset in helping to find the children lost in the cracks. The children labeled as runaways, but could be running away from something dangerous."
"Very good."
"You trained me well Obi-Wan."
There was a pause as they got off the throughway.
"It feels like we're growing apart."
Reid glanced at her.
"I'll always be there for you Iris."
"You sure I can't be a teacher at your school?"
"You can be a guest lecturer once it starts. Right now, I need educators certified in the State of Maryland."
"Garcia is hosting game night at her house once a month. You CANNOT miss that."
Reid stretched his hand across the console. "I'm not abandoning you, Iris. Never."
Iris held his hand. "I'm holding you figuratively and literally to it."
They got through security and parked in the guest lot.
"Nervous?" Reid asked.
Iris threw her head in the air. "Never."
They entered the building.
"Not the prettiest thing," she said.
"It wasn't designed to be aesthetically pleasing."
"Obviously."
They went through another round of security.
Reid stopped for a moment at the wall of remembrance. He recognized a couple of the new additions.
"Were you ever up here?" Iris asked.
"No. My team refused to let me until there was proof of a body."
"Good."
Reid directed her to the elevator. They were going to the fourth floor.
"Do you really think I could be good at this?" she asked softly.
"I have no doubt you'd be amazing at it."
"That's all I needed to hear."
Iris offered her fist. He hit it.
As they left the elevator, an alarm was wrung.
Reid grabbed Iris's hand. "Follow me."
There was the sound of gunshots.
Reid got in front of Iris.
A man with dark hair was dragging an unconscious woman by her neck down the hall while shooting blindly.
"What do you want?" Reid shouted.
Reid kept a hand on Iris to keep her thin frame out of sight.
"Who the Hell are you?" he said.
"Someone who can help you," Reid said.
"I doubt it," he said. "I've already killed three feds. I'm getting the needle."
"If you stop now, I'll make sure you don't."
"Haha. Time to die," he raised his gun at him.
"Think of your grandfather!" Reid said.
"What the hell do you know about him?"
"The watch you're wearing. There are only fifty of them in existence. They were given to SEALs during World War II. Your grandfather probably never told you what he did during the war as parts are still classified to this day."
"Do you know anything about what he did?" the man asked. "My father went mad trying to find information."
Reid took tiny steps forward. "It was rumored that if the atomic bomb malfunctioned, they were to go in and activate it themselves."
"How do you know all of this?"
"I work in records. I also know—"
Reid charged forward and grabbed the gun. There was a loud BANG! Reid and the man fell to the ground.
"Ow!" Iris said.
Reid threw the man off and turned to her. She was on the ground clutching her right ankle.
There was the thundering of footsteps. SWAT appeared.
There wasn't any blood.
"It just grazed you," Reid said.
"If it just 'grazed' me, why does it hurt like Hell?"
"Because that's what gunshots do."
The man was cuffed and the woman he was holding was being checked out.
Reid recognized one of the women approaching them. It was Sara Trivet, from the missing children taskforce.
"Medics are on their way."
"This will make for a fun excuse to miss my job interview," Iris said.
"Ted will be happy to interview you another time," she said.
Reid took a deep breath.
"You're always going to be counted among us you know," Trivet said to Reid. "The way you handle situations like that is proof."
He nodded. He may not be a special agent, but the skills he learned would be eternally useful.